Processes after a student has been admitted to a degree program

Degree Plans - For masters programs requiring 30-45 credit hours, degree-seeking graduate students must submit an approved degree plan signed by their advisor, department chair, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School and Distance Education to the Graduate School after completion of 15 credit hours. Graduate programs requiring more than 45 credit hours must submit an approved degree plan signed by their advisor, department chair, and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School and Distance Education to the Graduate Schools after 30 credit hours. After these credit hour limits, if an approved degree plan is not on file in the Graduate School, an enrollment hold will be placed on the student’s account. (Changes based on Federal Regulations on Satisfactory Academic Program).

For the Ed.S. program an approved degree plan must be submitted to the Graduate School after a student completes 15 credit hours. After this credit hour limit, if an approved degree plan is not on file in the Graduate School, an enrollment hold will be placed on the student’s account (Changes based on Federal Regulations on Satisfactory Academic Program).

For the Ph.D. program, an approved doctorate degree plan must be submitted to the Graduate School after the student completes 30 credit hours. After this credit hour limit, if an approved degree plan is not on file in the Graduate School, an enrollment hold will be placed on the student’s account. (Changes based on Federal Regulations on Satisfactory Academic Program.

Degree Candidacy - Most departments require students to apply for degree candidacy once the following requirements have been met:

The student has met the entrance and/or candidacy requirements of the major department and the results must be on file in the Graduate School. Any probationary requirements must have been completed and all entrance exam results indicating successful completion of those test requirements must be on file in the Graduate Office.

Student must have a degree plan on file in the Graduate School (see degree policy below).

The student must have successfully completed a minimum of 6 hours of course work on the graduate program of study. (This requirement is greater is some departments.

Once those requirements have been completed, the Graduate Advisor must notify the Graduate school via email of the student’s degree candidacy. After receiving this notification, an email notifying the student of his/her admission to degree candidacy will be sent by the Graduate School.

Comprehensive/Final exams – The majority of programs require a final examination that must be successfully completed. These results must be submitted by the department to the Graduate School for inclusion in the student’s record before his/her degree will be conferred. If your department requires a final exam, a final exam card must be sent to the Graduate School indicating this requirement has been successfully completed.

Intent to Graduate - The semester prior to the semester in which the student anticipates completing his/her degree requirements, the student is required to complete an Intent to Graduate. Nothing will begin in the degree conferral process until the student has completed the Intent to Graduate and submitted it to the Graduate School. Once this form is received and processed by the Graduate School, the student will be notified at his/her official ESU email address that it has been received and processed. Deadlines for receipt of the Intent to Graduate are as follows:

Spring graduates – November 1 of the preceding Fall semester.

Summer graduates-March 1 of the preceding Spring semester.

Fall graduates – July 1 of the preceding Summer semester.

Students must follow the instructions below to access and complete the Intent to Graduate Form:

Log into Buzzin -- buzzin.emporia.edu (you must log into buzzin to complete this form)

Select Academic Life Tab

Select Student Record

Select Intent to Graduate Application

If students need to complete a hard copy of the application, they should contact Doug Cooper at dcooper@emporia.edu.

Failure to file the Intent to Graduate will delay the awarding of the student’s degree.

Graduate Degree and Enrollment: Graduate students using the resources of the university (e.g., instructors, libraries, laboratories, computers) are expected to be enrolled in courses for credit and must be enrolled in at least one semester credit hour during the term in which the degree is granted or the requirements are met. Any exceptions to this policy must be requested by the department chair and approved by the Dean of Graduate School and Distance Education.

Degree Analysis - Once your Intent to Graduate Form has been filed and an analysis done on the student’s degree requirements, the student will receive at his/her official ESU email address a courtesy copy of that analysis that is sent to departmental advisor. The analysis is normally performed immediately prior to the student’s last semester of enrollment.